The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pennisetum botanically known as Pennisetum purpureum×Pennisetum glaucum, and herein referred to as ‘Tifton 23-O’.
The new Pennisetum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Tifton, Ga. The objective of the Pennisetum breeding program is to create new plant cultivars with improved commercial qualities. This cultivar is commercially important for its superior ornamental value, since the plant (crown and base) and the leaves are narrower, giving it a fine-textured appearance. Moreover, it shows better pest resistance. These and other qualities are enumerated herein.
Pedigree and history: In 2003, napiergrass (unpatented, Pennisetum purpureum, 2n=4x=28, designated ‘N240-8’, the female parent) was crossed with red pearl millet (unpatented Pennisetum glaucum, the male parent). The new variety ‘Tifton 23-O’ was selected in 2004 from the 2003 cross.
Asexual reproduction of the new Pennisetum by vegetative propagation (single stem propagules) in a controlled environment in Tifton, Blairsville and Griffin, Ga. since 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Pennisetum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.